I had spent my first few days of Bosnia and Herzegovina based in Sarajevo, the bustling capital city where east meets west in a gorgeous collision of culture.
Bosnia and Herzegovina was part of the former Yugoslavia, firstly a kingdom then a federation of six nations from 1918 to 1992, between the end of WWI and the genocide. The other five nations included Croatia, Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia and Slovenia.
Sarajevo sits sort of at the heart of it all. Notably having been part of once both the Ottoman Empire and the Austro-Hungarian Empire, the city reflects these vibes very clearly.
From Sarajevo, it was time to head southwest to visit Mostar, one of the most iconic spots in all of the Balkans.
How to Get to Mostar
Mostar is divided by the Neretva River, a city tucked into the far southwestern corner of Bosnia and Herzegovina, a few hours from the Croatian border.
By Train
I arrived in Mostar from Sarajevo by train. The train winds through the mountains of Bosnia and Herzegovina and it truly was a gorgeous journey.
You can book your ticket in advance on the Bosnia and Herzegovina Railway Federation website. You must pick up your ticket at least ten minutes in advance at the station; tell them your order number and they'll have your ticket printed and ready for you.
Story time: I had abandoned my seat early in the trip to stand in the restaurant cart which had panoramic windows on both sides so I could take photos the whole time. The conductor approached me at one point and said “follow me… I have surprise” so of course I went. We ended up at the back of the restaurant car where there’s a big emergency exit door which he pulls open for me while the training is going full speed ahead, purely so I could take this video of the most beautiful pass on the whole route.
By Bus
Many coach and bus lines service Mostar from all the surrounding countries. I took a bus from Mostar onwards to Dubrovnik, and there were also buses leaving to Sarajevo and all other parts of Bosnia and Herzegovina around the same time too.
I booked my bus on GetByBus. The Mostar bus station is right next door to the train station, so both are really easy to locate. The bus station and train station are just north of Mostar, so an easy twenty-minute walk from the Old Town and Old Bridge.
Croatian coast from the bus ride from Mostar
How to Get around Mostar
Mostar is a small city, very easily walkable. You would only need a car if you wanted to go and see some of the beautiful spots in the region - however I visited all of these on a tour and did not need my own wheels.
Where to Stay in Mostar
This trip was a backpacking one, so I stayed in hostels for my entire route through Hungary, Serbia, Bosnia and Herzegovina and into Croatia. I was surprised at how many hostels there are in Mostar, and many with really high ratings on HostelWorld.
I stayed at Hostel Nina, which is just a few minutes walk from the Old Town, so it's the perfect location. Nina was lovely and I am fairly certain the hostel is her family home converted into big dorm rooms. Breakfast is included and the beds are comfy and it's really welcoming.
The tour I did around the region to visit the iconic Blagaj, the little village of Počitelj, an abandoned Yugoslav bunker, the view over Mostar from the new Skywalk and the exceptional Kravica Waterfall was also arranged through Hostel Nina. I think the tour runs most days; you can book in advance via email and it was just €50 for the whole day.
Where to Eat in Mostar
The old town of Mostar is full of meal options; it felt like every other shop was a restaurant, so you certainly won't be hard-pressed to find something to eat. As it's fairly touristy here, you can expect more expensive prices compared to the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but it was still much cheaper than compared to, for example, Croatia, just across the border.
One evening I tried Food House, a spot known for having loads of vegan and vegetarian options on the menu just on the edge of the old town. Their platter was delicious, featuring a selection of few different traditional dishes to try.
My second evening I went to Restaurant Divan, featuring a lot of traditional Bosnia and Herzegovinan dishes, with a gorgeous river view to beat.
The river banks are full of restaurants
Restaurant Divan
Best Views of Old Bridge Mostar
The city of Mostar truly revolves around the Old Bridge. The entire old town sprawls out around it from every side and much of what I did was walk around trying to find the most beautiful angles of the Old Bridge. The old town of Mostar is idyllic, full of cobblestoned streets and bursting with little boutique shops and restaurants to meander through.
Here are the best views I found while I was walking through Mostar:
Lučki most
This car bridge is the next bridge along from the Old Bridge, crossing the Neretva River, with views back towards the Old Bridge.
Diving platform
This was by far my most favourite spot - it hardly ever had people, even when the opposite side of the river was super packed, and truly had the ultimate view straight onto the Old Bridge. Highly recommend.
Find the exact location of the Diving platform on Google Maps!
Completely unplanned, I ended up in Mostar on the day of the annual RedBull bridge-jumping competition
Beach below Stari Most
This is one of the most popular spots, which I didn't really spend a lot of time at because there were always so many people. You can see it below as photographed from the Diving platform; it does give a beautiful angle straight up to the Old Bridge.
View from the Old Bridge
Of course, you have to walk across the Old Bridge and take in the views of Mostar from there. The Old Bridge is not actually the original, as it was destroyed in the wars of the 90s, however it has been reconstructed to be identical to the former structure and is super fun to walk across. It's steep and a bit slippery, so take care on the stones!
Mostar UNESCO Marker
If you walk across the bridge and then up a little bit along the river, you'll get a beautiful view looking back towards the Old Bridge and the old town against the backdrop of a hill with the Millennium Cross atop it.
Crooked Bridge
Things to See Near Mostar
While I was staying in Mostar, I joined an all-day tour through my hostel. We visited a number of beautiful sites in the region around Mostar with a local guide - and honestly it was brilliant. We visited the iconic Blagaj, explored the little village of Počitelj, explored an abandoned Yugoslav bunker, enjoyed the view over Mostar from the new Skywalk and then spent the afternoon cooling off in the gorgeous Kravica Waterfall.
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Hi! I’m Jana, a Dutch-German-British-Canadian with a dream of seeing every country in the world. I am a storyteller, photographer and adventurer passionate about documenting and sharing my travels.
